Tuesday, August 09, 2022

Paramount Moves 'The Smurfs' Musical Movie to Feb. 14, 2025

Paramount Pictures has pushed back the release date for the upcoming The Smurfs movie. Previously set to open in theaters on Dec. 20, 2024, the untitled animated musical will now open on Feb. 14, 2025.


Nickelodeon Animation and Paramount Pictures announced earlier this year that they have formed a deal with LAFIG Belgium and IMPS to produce multiple feature films based on The Smurfs, the iconic characters and stories created by Belgian artist Pierre Culliford, also known as Peyo. The musical Smurfs feature is the first project under the new partnership.

The Smurfs movie is being directed by Chris Miller, the Oscar-nominated helmer of 2011’s Puss in Boots, with a screenplay by Pam Brady (South Park, Team America: World Police). Brady who will also step into other creative roles that are yet to be announced.

Latifa Ouaou, Executive Vice President (EVP) of movies and global franchises for Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation (who earlier produced Miller’s Puss in Boots), is overseeing development on the Smurfs movie, along with Emily Nordwind, Senior Vice President (SVP) of development and production for Paramount Animation.

In a twinned move, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will open in theaters on Dec. 20, 2024.

Stream all your favorite Nickelodeon shows old and new on Paramount+. Try it FREE at ParamountPlus.com!


Originally published: August 09, 2022.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter; H/T: Special thanks to @RoyalSmurf2022 for the news!

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Mikros Animation Seeks Talented Heroes to Bring Nickelodeon’s ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’ to Screen

Point Grey Pictures and Nickelodeon announced the highly anticipated feature film reimagining of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise back in 2020, and today announced the onboarding of award-winning global animation studio Mikros Animation to bring the fully CGI-animated production to life.


Set to premiere August 4, 2023,  the recently titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is well underway, and Mikros Animation is on the lookout for seasoned and budding animators to join its ranks and be a part of the epic production.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Mikros Animation on the next-level reimagining of the franchise,” says Mark Bakshi, EVP of Paramount Pictures Animation.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is directed by Jeff Rowe (The Mitchells vs. The Machines), co-directed by Kyler Spears (Amphibia) and produced by Point Grey’s Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver.

“We are excited to join forces with Nickelodeon on this theatrical release,” says Adrianna Cohen, Global Head of Production at Mikros Animation. “The Ninja Turtles franchise is edgy, offbeat, and humorous and the Mikros Animation team is ensuring we were doing justice to bringing the beloved turtles to big screens. The filmmaker’s vision was to introduce the characters through modern animation that maintains the fine balance between visually appealing and realistic. Focusing not just on craft, but also performance, it’s our job to develop the unique personalities of each of these iconic characters, whilst staying true to the 1990s nostalgia that the franchise holds”


Mikros Animation is actively recruiting animation, anim-fix, character surfacing artists in Montreal, FX & lighting supervisors, compositing supervisors, production managers and more roles.

Artists and animators interested in working on Mutant Mayhem can view and apply for open roles across Mikros Animation here. 

Mikros Animation is a global CGI animation studio located in Paris, Montreal, Los Angeles, Bangalore and London, offering front-end services through to final picture for feature, long-form episodic, and traditional episodic animation. Leveraging its global capacity to adaptably scale for every project, the studio seeks to connect with clients’ creative ideas, define and develop their vision and deliver striking CG animation and authentic characters. 

In less than 10 years, Mikros Animation has contributed to 10 released feature animations (including PAW Patrol: The Movie, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run and Captain Underpants) and numerous episodic shows (Star Trek: ProdigyKung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight, Dragons: The Nine Realms) for the world’s best-known animation studios, either as a creative studio, line producer or executive producer. Mikros Animation has also produced more than 250 hours of programming, broadcast by notable channels including Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, TF1, France TV, Gulli, M6, Gloob and Super RTL. The studio’s episodic content airs and streams globally, in over 180 countries.


Stream Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Paramount+! Try it FREE at ParamountPlus.com!



Original source: Animation Magazine.

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'Rugrats' Writer Recalls Origin of Angelica’s Iconic Catchphrase

Joe Ansolabehere explains how Angelica's famous quote in Rugrats was affected by co-creator Arlene Klasky and the use of a certain word.


Rugrats writer Joe Ansolabehere recalls the origin of Angelica's most famous catchphrase. The hit Nickelodeon animated series originally premiered back in 1991 and went on to become one of the network's longest-running shows, airing a total of 172 episodes across nine seasons. Following the day-to-day lives of a group of toddlers, Rugrats observes how life experiences can become adventurous through the imaginative point-of-view of children. After generating praise from critics, as well as popularity among audiences, it spawned three theatrical films, spin-offs, including All Grown Up!, and a Rugrats reboot series that debuted on Paramount+ last year.

Fans of the show are familiar with the character of Angelica Pickles, the spoiled older cousin of main protagonist, Tommy. She is oftentimes portrayed as a rival of the babies, constantly manipulating them, and she has become the center of one of series' most compelling fan theories, in which the rest of the Rugrats were all figments of her imagination. Despite the role she played, and that co-creator Arlene Klasky did not not care much for her treatment of others, audiences still enjoyed the character and all of her audacious remarks. The most well known of Angelica Pickles' many catchphrases is "you dumb babies," a line that she repeats frequently and that has gone on to appear in a number of Rugrats merchandise.

Now, speaking with /Film, Ansolabehere reveals that Klasky actually ended up affecting the memorable Angelica quote. He says that the co-creator was concerned about the children watching, including her own, and she was angry with the word "stupid" being used in a script. He adds that even though the word was written as part of Angelica's quote, Klasky would not let it happen. Read what Ansolabehere says regarding the origin of the character's catchphrase below:

"We knew 'You stupid babies' was going to be Angelica's catchphrase and something that was going to be on T-shirts and make millions of dollars. But Arlene didn't want it [...] Nickelodeon wasn't saying we couldn't use stupid, it was Arlene."

Fans of both the show and the character can see Angelica Pickles in Paramount+'s Rugrats revival, also created by Klasky, in which she returns to pester the gang and is voiced once again by Cheryl Chase. While the animation itself is noticeably different, the new show retains much of original's spirit, and after one season, Angelica still looks to be up to no good. Those who watched the reboot were likely entertained by the first mention of her catchphrase, and with more episodes on the way, its inclusion will only increase.

Fans of the 1991 animated series might enjoy seeing Angelica and others in the reboot and experiencing the nostalgia that provides. Also, it is interesting to know about the cause related to a catchphrase such as hers, and worth wondering about how it would've been perceived in its original form. Audiences who still love Angelica Pickles and her feisty nature can look forward to more Rugrats soon.

Stream the classic and the all new CG-animated Rugrats series on Paramount+! Try it FREE at ParamountPlus.com!

Originally published: August 09, 2022.

Original source: ScreenRant.

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Nickelodeon Originally Rejected Hey Arnold's Emotional Vietnam Episode

Hey Arnold! writer and producer Joe Ansolabehere reveals why the show’s memorable Vietnam war episode was originally rejected by Nickelodeon.


The producer of Hey Arnold! reveals that the show’s emotional Vietnam episode was originally rejected by Nickelodeon. The iconic animated series was a touchstone for many in the 1990s, centering on a fourth-grader named Arnold who lived with his grandparents. Although many Hey Arnold! episodes focused on the titular character’s experiences and problems, several would actually turn over the spotlight to other major and even minor figures in the series. This has become a fairly standard approach for prestige dramas and comedies, which often turn over the spotlight to supporting players, but Hey Arnold! made a success of it back when it wasn’t such a common trend.

One of the show’s most enduring examples of this shift in focus was “Arnold’s Christmas”. Aired in December 1996, it offered a close look at Mr. Hyunh, a recurring character who lived in the same boarding house as Arnold, and depicted the 1975 fall of Saigon in Vietnam. In particular, the episode examined how a young Vietnamese girl named Mai was forcibly separated from her father Mr. Hyunh. The plot itself was sweetly simple, however, as it showed Arnold trying to find the right gift for his neighbor and ultimately understanding him much better as a result.


In an interview with /Film, writer and producer Joe Ansolabehere discussed how the Hey Arnold! episode happened and why it almost didn’t. As the producer tells it, there had always been an interest in including a flashback to Vietnam from the moment the character of Mr. Hyunh was introduced but Nickelodeon kept saying no. Ansolabehere said that the network’s main worry was that kids wouldn’t care about the story. An executive at Nickelodeon, who had the final say over whether the episode could continue being animated, showed it to her son. Her son’s reaction, Ansolabehere says, was the turning point. You can read the quote below.

“She popped it in and her son, who was like nine, was sitting there and watched it. And it got to the end of the Vietnam thing, where he’s holding the baby up and the helicopter guys take the baby and everything… And the little boy turned to his mom and said, ‘Mom, is that what Vietnam was all about?’”

Hey Arnold! gives Mai and Mr. Hyunh a happy ending, as they two are reunited at the episode’s conclusion. But it also features the gutting flashback that shows Mr. Hyunh handing off his baby daughter to an American helicopter pilot with the hopes she would grow up and find a better life. In the decades since the Christmas episode debuted, it’s been credited as one of the first times the Vietnamese community was presented in pop culture through an honest and open lens.

Hey Arnold! creator Craig Bartlett has reflected on the story’s impact, as well. He’s explained that in an era before social media, it took him some time to appreciate how the story of Mr. Hyunh and Mai resonated. It wasn’t really until Asian Americans, who’d grown up watching the series, began sharing its significance. It’s undoubtedly a good thing that Nickelodeon moved past its reluctance.

Stream all your favorite Nickelodeon shows old and new on Paramount+. Try it FREE at ParamountPlus.com!


Originally published: August 09, 2022.

Original source: ScreenRant.

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Nickelodeon All Star Brawl's Hugh Neutron Has A Chun Li Kick Secret Command

It’s tough to pull off, but the result speaks for itself.


Hugh Neutron has arrived in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl. Developer GameMill Entertainment tried to keep Hugh a surprise with his release on Friday (Aug. 6), but an earlier store leak sort of ruined it. But surprise or no, Hugh Neutron arrived with an eclectic mix of dad-inspired moves, including his “dad dancing” set of neutral attacks, a strong attack with Flippy, a spike with a pogo stick, and a recovery move where he briefly flies on a giant banana.

He also arrived with a secret Chun-Li easter egg that fans are only now discovering.

According to one Twitter post currently making the rounds, Hugh can perform Chun-Li’s Hyakuretsukyaku (also known as the Lightning Kick, or the Hundred Lightning Kicks) by moving the left stick in a 360-degree motion and then pressing the taunt button. It’s not quite the same as Chun-Li’s endless barrage of kicks, but it deals a good amount of damage and ends with a launch.

The move is probably a little too difficult to pull off in more competitive matches as it requires the player to basically run in the same spot for a split second, making them vulnerable to attacks. Then again, Hugh has only been around for a few days. We'll have to wait and see if this secret move can be incorporated into competitive play.

Along with Hugh, last Friday’s update also broke Avatar Aang. Whatever they did, the devs accidentally made Aang’s down special--where he summons a ball of air and starts rolling around--an instant kill. Even the barest touch sends any character out of bounds, and it works every time.

GameMill is aware of the issue and has already released a hotfix on PC, but consoles might still have this instant kill move. Be careful with your online play if you see a bunch of Aang’s running around, especially if you're part of the Fire Nation.

Watch all your favorite shows on Nickelodeon and Paramount+! Parents and caregivers: try Paramount+ for FREE at ParamountPlus.com.


Original source: TheGamer.

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